I recently turned 23 last weekend (it was a great birthday, thanks) and so ended the year of playing Taylor Swift's '22' as a theme song for the double twos.
Being 23 is that weird spot in life where you're not old...and yet you're not that young either. No big birthday milestones happen until you're 25. And let's be fair, that's when everyone says it goes downhill from there.
I'm not ready just yet to depart from 22. A time where Taylor Swift says that we're happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time, it's actually true. And who knew, you can learn things from a Taylor Swift song.
Life Lessons You Can Learn from Taylor Swift's 22 for people 22-years-old and over
"It feels like a perfect night for breakfast at midnight..."
I endorse eating whenever you feel like it. I feel feeling young and free is the ability to make up your own rules and not taking yourself seriously. Concerned about your hashtag-paleo diet? Calm down and enjoy the ability to make decisions and enjoy things out of the norm. Life is too short.
"We're happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time
It's miserable and magical."
Let's be frank. At 22, and at 23, I'm happy where I am but I have no clue where I'm going in life or what my "five year plan" is. And I've realised it's okay to feel this way. We don't have to go through life defining ourselves and our paths if we're still unsure. It will always feel better to be happy and free than miserable and restrained.
"Tonight's the night when we forget about the deadlines."
The most valuable lesson I learned while 22 was that work is not to be your life, and life is not to always work. When a close friend of mine surprised everyone with news that she was leaving to go work across the other side of the globe for at least 6 months, I realised how much I regretted the overtime I put in at work. I wasn't getting paid for these ridiculously long days I thought I should commit to, and neither was it that valuable after all. I missed a lot of events and functions just because I thought I should work 11 hour days. Those extra hours add up and you see how wasted they were. The value of friendship is more important than the money you make per hour.
"It seems like one of those nights,
We ditch the whole scene and end up dreaming
Instead of sleeping."
Being a working adult, you sometimes forget the ability to dream big and settle for making it to 5.30pm. Meanwhile, the friends of mine are travelling and exploring, taking the most jealousy-inducing selfies in the most gorgeous of places. It's good to every once in a while "ditch the scene". New scenes open up for new dreams.
"You don't know about me,
But I'll bet you want to."
At 22, you're already considered an adult, but life and times are still child's play and high school banter. People will always offend you, always confront you, and intimidate you. I've learned now that it's worth having a little sass and holding your ground. No one knows who you are until you know how to stand up for what you believe in.
"Everything will be alright
If we just keep dancing like we're 22."
I have no idea what a 22-year-old is meant to dance like, but if it's anything like how I dance now - it's about being carefree and not caring how you look like. I always feel certain friends of mine try too hard to get the attention of guys and need to get approval from anyone who is willing to rate them. If I was single, I wouldn't understand why that was so important. I'm a firm believer that timing is everything and everything has a timing. Avoid sweating the serious stuff you can't control and don't stress - keep dancing till everything is alright, then dance some more.Despite being a Taylor Swift song about being 22-years-old, these lyrics actually have more than what is said on the surface. A song to remind you what's at heart and not to change your youthful spirit. And a song to remind you about celebrating the best of times with the best of people.
But of course, it's not a Taylor Swift post if I don't disagree with something she does....
When is it the perfect time to dress up as a hipster? Never.
